The new chip is 60 percent faster than the ARM Cortex-A9 and offers increased efficiency, while the Mali-T720 GPU and the Mali-V500 video processor are energy-efficient multimedia solutions for mid-range devices.

ARM announced yesterday a suite of new products that provide higher performance and increased efficiency while keeping the costs low. This suite consists of a processor, a graphics processor and a physical IP solution. This update to ARM's mid-range offering aims at "devices for production in 2015 and beyond."

"We expect to see a rich set of innovation in the mid-range mobile phone segment which is forecast to become a half a billion unit market annually from 2015 and the Cortex-A17 processor will be a key component in that growth." says Ian Ferguson, ARM's vice president of segment marketing. MediaTek already announced that the MT6595 processor which uses Cortex-A17 cores will be comercially available before 2015 and the first devices powered by it will arrive in the second half of 2014.

The Cortex-A17 processor provides increased efficiency and is 60 percent more powerful than the Cortex-A9, also "supporting full-system coherency for ARM big.LITTLE(TM) processing using the CoreLink(TM) CCI-400 Cache Coherent Interconnect."

The new GPU for entry-level Android devices dubbed Mali-T720 comes with support for the latest graphics APIs, including Open GL ES 3.0, RenderScript, OpenCL and even DirectX. Compared to the ARM Mali-T600 Series, the T720 has a simplified layout and smaller die size, both leading to a decreased time-to-market while maintaining a high level of performance.

In addition to the Mali-T720 graphics processor, the IP suite includes the Mali-V500, which is "a very efficient and compact video processor delivering up to 4K resolutions" and works together with the new Mali-DP500 display controller to provide enhanced security "from content to the glass." For more details, please check the press release below.

CAMBRIDGE, UK, FEB 11, 2014 – ARM today announced an enhanced suite of higher performance and more energy-efficient products specifically designed for the rapidly growing mid-range mobile and consumer electronics markets. The suite, comprised of processor, graphics processor and physical IP, is an update to ARM's mid-range IP offering targeting devices for production in 2015 and beyond. The combination of the ARM Cortex-A17 processor and the ARM Mali-T720 GPU gives an enriched offering for mid-range mobile and other consumer applications such as smart TVs and Over-the-Top media devices.

"We expect to see a rich set of innovation in the mid-range mobile phone segment which is forecast to become a half a billion unit market annually from 2015 and the Cortex-A17 processor will be a key component in that growth," said Ian Ferguson, vice president of segment marketing, ARM. "To date, the ARM Partnership has shipped more than 50 billion ARM-based chips and the continued broadening of our processor family will enable our partners to further optimize their offerings in existing and new product categories."

More Performance, Greater EfficiencyThe Cortex-A17 processor offers a 60 percent performance improvement over Cortex-A9 processors, enabling better power and area efficiency while supporting full-system coherency for ARM big.LITTLE™ processing using the CoreLink™ CCI-400 Cache Coherent Interconnect. Additional information on the Cortex-A17 processor can be found here.

The Mali-T720 GPU is a cost-optimized graphics solution targeted at entry-level Android devices developed to reduce an OEM's manufacturing complexities and time-to-market. It supports the latest graphics and GPU computing APIs, including Open GL ES 3.0, OpenCL and RenderScript, extending the rich visual experience previously found only on today's high-end smartphones and tablets. More detail on the Mali-T720 GPU can be found here. Additionally, the mid-range IP suite includes the Mali-V500 video solution, a very efficient and compact video processor delivering up to 4K resolutions and when combined with the new Mali-DP500 display controller, enables security from content to the glass.

Faster Time-To-Market SupportTo enable SoC designers to combine their own IP in the most efficient and effective manner, ARM provides ARM POP™ IP implementation solutions on 28nm process technology. POP IP for the Cortex-A17 processor includes core-hardening acceleration technology and delivers 2.0+ GHz implementations. POP IP for the Mali-T720 GPU enables best-in-class area efficiency (fps/mm2) and market-leading power efficiency (fps/mW). It includes a proven RTL-GDS flow to easily reproduce complex implementations for a faster time to market. More information on POP IP featuring ARM Artisan® Physical IP can be found here.

Partner Quotes"MediaTek is committed to providing the world's most compelling SoC solutions, and ARM technology builds the ideal foundation for fully integrated platforms with rich feature sets. The new ARM Cortex-A17 processor combines high performance with cost and efficiency, delivering an excellent user experience and a premium feature set, making it the best processing option available to continue our success in the mobile market," said Johan Lodenius, chief marketing officer, MediaTek.

"As a leader in multimedia SoC solutions, Realtek sees the Cortex-A17 processor as continuing the ARM track record of delivering the right balance of performance and power to address the demand for new products," said Jessy Chen, Executive Vice President of Realtek.

About ARMARM® designs the semiconductor intellectual property and enabling technology at the heart of the world's advanced digital products. Our energy efficient and scalable processors deliver the intelligence which is transforming society; from smartphones and wearable devices, to enterprise infrastructure and servers, to embedded technology in automotive, industrial applications and the 'Internet of Things'.

Our technology is licensed by partners who have now shipped more than 50 billion microchips containing ARM processors since the company was founded in 1990. Together with our Connected Community, we are breaking down barriers to innovation for developers, designers and engineers, ensuring a fast, reliable route to market for leading electronics companies. Join the conversation at http://community.arm.com.